This invention relates to reusable safety warning devices, particularly reusable devices which may be effectively used to replace a conventional incendiary flare.
On many occasions, particularly in the case of an automobile breakdown or accident, it is extremely desirable to have available a highly visible warning device to attract others for help and, especially along a highway, to warn others of the presence of stopped vehicles or people so that they will not collide therewith and cause further damage or injury. One of the best such warning devices frequently used is the conventional incendiary flare since it is portable and light, and burns with a very bright light that is easy to see from long distances away.
However, incendiary flares present several problems. First, they will not ignite when wet, and once ignited are consumed by their use. Since such flares are burning when in use, and therefore are hot, they cannot be hand held or placed on objects which may ignite or be damaged by the flame. Thus, incendiary flares are particularly dangerous around automobile and truck accidents where gasoline and other flamables may have spilled. In addition, since the flares are hot their remains are frequently left behind following a vehicle accident or breakdown thereby presenting a hazard for other vehicles.
Several devices have been designed for warning drivers of roadway hazards without the use of an incendiary flare. For example, Asbury U.S. Pat. 3,016,035 shows a flag attached by a pole to a base shaped somewhat like a section of a sphere for supporting the pole upright on the ground. Similarly, Levy et al U.S. Pat. 3,250,241 discloses an inflatable balloon-like emergency signal which is attached to a pole having a suction cup at one end for mounting the device on various objects. However, both of these devices are limited in their ability to attract the attention of an oncoming driver since they do not provide their own source of light, do not provide many reflective surfaces, and do not exhibit sufficient motion to attract much attention, at least without a relatively strong wind. Also, neither is as readily recognizable a danger as a conventional burning incendiary flare.
Another approach which has been taken to provide a reusable warning device is shown in Walter U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,096 wherein a plurality of elongate resilient fingers are attached to a base to protrude outwardly and upwardly therefrom. The base is held down to a surface by a weighted anchor and the entire signal is stored in a multiple-part collapsible container. However, the number of reflective surfaces provided by such finger-like members and motion exhibited thereby are relatively limited since the fingers must be large and rigid to support themselves upright. More importantly, such a signal is difficult to erect and to keep intact, since it requires the separation of numerous parts which may be lost, and it does not provide its own source of light in the darkness.
Therefore it can be seen that there is a need for a reusable warning signal device which may be substituted for the conventional incendiary flare, wherein the device is easily recognizable as a warning signal due to its own source of light, or its ability to reflect a great deal of external light in an attractive manner, and which may more readily be erected than prior art warning devices.